Amma's Ashram

Amma is an amazing 53-yr. old spiritual teacher known as the 'Hugging Mama' Guru who is said to have physically hugged 24 million people. Amma states her 'religion is Love' & besides giving healing hugs her organization has manifested an incredible amount of charitable projects. They have built over 100,000 homes for the homeless, give 50,000 pensions for the elderly & desititute each month, built a hospital giving medical care to the poor, and support a vast range of educational institutes from primary to post-graduate. Her ashram(www.amritapuri.org) is home to over 3,000 residents including families & university students who live here & walk/commute to several colleges across the river.
Amma travels 8 months of the year so she is not here now (I'm still not one of the lucky 24 million!) but it is a very peaceful but busy place. The ahram compound is built between the Arabian Sea (the big Tsunami flooded the Ashram 2 yrs. ago) & a large River over which is a pedestrian bridge connecting the Ashram to the local town.
The most imposing physical structures are the gigantic high-rise towers, the largest of which I am residing in. I was on the 12th floor but have moved up to the top(16th) floor with probably the best view in the place. From my room & side patio there is an amazing view of the Arabian Sea & the River & endless tropical greenery of coconut palms. The multi-color sunsets & sunrises laced with fog coming up from the earth is stunning.
I've met many interesting disciples, devotees, & fellow travelers while here. My first flatmate was Richard, a nice young guy from England. He shared his travel stories from his adventures in several countries in southern Africa a few years ago which he highly recommends going to. (even though he did get malaria & was robbed one night!) My current flatmate is Jonathan from Quebec but most recently Kauai in Hawaii & amazingly we realized we met each other at a potluck dinner there on a beach 4 years ago!
I'm giving seva(service) working on the recycling/trash crew in the morning. It's run by a hard-working guy named Bill from Vancouver,B.C. & other devotees from Australia, England,& Spain. The Ashram is certainly not quiet with workers hammering & devotional singing occuring every morning & evening, sometimes annoyingly on loudspeakers around 5am & late at night. The energy is very peaceful though, & I'm told when Amma is here giving darshan(hugs) the place is packed(at least 3 to a room) but has an amazing vibration at times.
One of the few negative aspects of the ashram that bothers me is the lack of compassion towards the two elephants that live here. Although they are allowed to 'walk' around the compound once or twice a day the remaining time they are chained to a tree on a short metal chain by the incinerator. They are not happy & perhaps someone will forward the letter I wrote to Amma(put in the suggestion box) to build a Pen for them!
The fee is only 150 rupees a day(for shared room) which includes simple meals(lots of white rice)...There is also a good 'western' cafe where I've been eating most my meals.....If you find yourself in southern India take a backwater cruise & stop at the Ashram!..(also Amma may be coming to your country as she travels extensively throughout the year)